Two Player
by StarCrusader
Summary: Natsu and Lucy are sucked into a video game, and are forced to play to escape. Will they make it out alive? Or will they stay trapped in the game forever? Will they find all of the heart shards for the Princess? And why does Lucy have wings?
1. Chapter 1

Lucy rolled her eyes as Natsu came through her window - _again._

"Natsu! Use the door like a _normal_ person!" She sighed as he went into her living room.

"Luce, I got it! I got the game I've been wanting!" She couldn't help but smile at his childishness.

"What game is it again?" She asked, staring at the colorful cover.

"It's called _Heart Stone._ It's about a hero who tries to fix the heart of the Princess, which was broken into pieces and sent all throughout the land. It's really cool! I even got it at a cheap price from someone in town. Wanna play with me? It's a two player game!" He smiled, handing her a controller. She simply nodded, taking it.

As the screen lit up with the title screen, Lucy asked Natsu where Happy was.

"Oh, he left yesterday with Wendy and Charle. Something about catching Charle a fish?"

"Of course."

"Yosh! Let's do this!" They sat side by side, the screen loading. The screen finally loaded, and Natsu and Lucy read it at the same time aloud, both confused.

"Read this to enter the game...?" And in a flash, the duo were sucked into the tv, their controllers left behind, forgotten on the floor.

 ** _xxx_**

Lucy hit the ground with a _thud,_ hurting her butt. When she looked around, she realized that she was in a throne room. Standing in front of the throne was a beautiful woman with long purple hair, wearing a dress that was sky blue. A diamond tiara rested atop her head. Despite her beauty, her face was stone cold, showing no emotion.

"Luce?" She turned to find Natsu standing by her, wearing a white shirt and brown vest over brown pants. There was a sword sheathed on his left side

"N-Natsu? What happened?" His face was tinged pink as he stared at her, so she examined herself, hoping she didn't look like an idiot. She had on a white dress that reached a few inches above her knee. It was layered and ruffled at the bottom, and her sleeves came down 3/4 of her arm, hanging down. It had red trim and white boots that came up to her knee. Her hair was up in two pigtails.

"Y-you have wings." Natsu said, poking them.

"Ahem." Both turned their attention to the princess. Lucy decided to worry about her wings later. "Prince Natsu, do you know why I've called you here?"

"N-no?"

"My heart has been stolen from me." She placed her hand over her chest, but her face was still emotionless. "I have called you here to find the shards of it for me. As a reward, I will become your bride, and our two Kingdoms can come together in peace."

"B-bride?" Lucy couldn't help but feel a bit jealous, but she didn't know why.

"Yes, bride. You must be Lucy, Princess of the Fairies. I thank you for joining Natsu in his quest. Your powers will be very useful."

"Luce, we're in the game!" Natsu whispered, making Lucy's face go slack.

"W-what?!" She cried out quietly. When she said she'd play the game, she didn't think it'd be like _this._

"Now, go. Embark on your journey, and return my heart to me!" A white light encompassed Natsu and Lucy as they were sent to the first level of the game.

 ** _xxx_**

Lucy landed on her butt again, but this time she was outside. The sky was a bright blue and the grass was a striking green.

"Luce!" Her heart caught in her chest as she saw Natsu run over to her. _Why is my heart acting funny?_ "Isn't this great?!"

"Baka!" Sh shouted, standing up. He flinched, but Lucy was too angry to care. "We're stuck in this game! What happens if we die in it? What happens if we can't get out?!"

"This isn't how it's supposed to be played. I don't know why we're in here."

"It was probably enchanted." Lucy looked off into the distance, seeing a shadow come closer. "Nee, Natsu, what's that?" She pointed towards the creature coming towards them.

"That's the enemy. They're called Bonies." And as it got closer, they could see why. It was a rotting skeleton holding a sword. Lucy could smell it when the wind picked up, and she gagged.

"Oh my Mavis, that reeks!" She could feel her lunch threatening to come back up. "Natsu, use your sword!" It was running towards them, sword raised.

Natsu unsheathed his own sword, running towards the Bonie. "I'm all fired up!" He yelled, dueling their enemy, a smirk on his face. "Luce, there's another one coming!"

"B-but I don't have any weapons!" She cried out, backing up slightly.

"Luce, you're a _fairy._ Don't you have magic?" He pushed the Bonie back, but it came charging at him again.

"I-I don't know!" She decided to give it a try, raising her hand to the other Bonie, but nothing happened. "Come on! Please!" Yet, nothing happened. The Bonie was dangerously close to her now, and she kept gagging.

Natsu whipped around to make sure she was okay, but the Bonie behind him raised its sword, about to plunge it into Natsu's back.

"Natsu, _no_!" Lucy raised her hand, as if to reach out for him, but a shot of blue light left the palm of her hand, destroying the Bonie behind him. It turned to ash, blowing away in the wind. She and Natsu shared the same look of amazement, but hers soon turned to horror as the bonie in front of her raised its sword, ready to plunge it through her heart. She raised her hands in defense, waiting for the blow.

But, it never came. She put her hands down, noticing that its head was now gone. It turned to ash, blowing away in the wind. Natsu stood there triumphantly, a smirk on his face.

"N-Natsu..." She threw her arms around him, grateful he saved her. Her heart was thumping madly in her chest, but she blamed it on being scared.

"We need to continue on. I think that this is the first level." Natsu said, pulling away.

"You're probably right." She walked by his side, wondering how she conjured the magic from before. _Was it because I tried to protect Natsu?_

"Shit..." Natsu muttered, stopping in his tracks. Before them was a large hill, a line of Bonies marching down it.

They had a long trip ahead of them.

 ** _(A/N)_**

 ** _So this has been an idea I've had for a while. Let me know how it is!_**

 ** _Leave a review!_**

 ** _~StarCrusader~_**


	2. Chapter 2

Lucy and Natsu fought side by side against the Bonies, but it seemed that Natsu was having a lot more fun than his partner. He had quickly become skilled with the sword he was given, but Lucy was having trouble controlling her magic. She knew that, in order to use it, she had to think of protecting Natsu, but that didn't mean she could _control_ it. The bright blue bursts emanating from her palm were erratic and random, sometimes even missing their target entirely.

They were still on the first level, and she was already panting from trying to fight off all of these rotting skeletons. She didn't know if she'd be able to make it through the whole game.

"Natsu, after we make it up this hill, we need to try to pause the game." She eyed the Bonie creeping towards her, wondering how the hell she got herself in this mess.

"Why? This is great!" He exclaimed, thrusting his sword into the chest of a Bonie, watching as it turned to ash.

"We need to make sure that we can get out of this game if we have to!" She dodged the sword, swiftly giving the Bonie one of her famous 'Lucy Kicks', sending him flying into Natsu's sword.

"Fine..." He muttered, pouting. The last Bonie had been slayed, so they began the rest of their trek up the hill. "Uh, Luce, how exactly are we supposed to pause it?"

At this, Lucy began to think, sitting on the hill, Natsu following suit. "Pause!" She shouted. Instantly, the game froze. They couldn't move from their sitting position, but Lucy, since she was the one who paused, could mover her arms and head. Natsu, on the other hand, could only talk and move his eyes.

A big blue square appeared in front of them, the blonde beginning to scroll through the options. After a few moments, she tapped on one titled 'Message'.

"Dear players," she began, "by now, you've probably already figured out that this game is enchanted! Even so, there are some rules you need to know. If you die in the game, it'll be _extremely_ painful, but you'll respawn in 10 seconds. Don't worry, you won't die in real life! You can't leave the game until you've beaten it. If you're playing two player, then it's even harder! Whoever is playing as the Fairy Princess will need to learn how to control her powers. If you don't, then your partner, the Prince, will surely die several painful deaths! No pressure! Good luck!"

They sat in silence for a few minutes as Lucy stared at the message, feeling hopeless. "How am I supposed to do this...?" She wondered aloud. "Unpause!" She shouted, watching the message disappear.

"You can do it, Luce! Besides, I won't die so easily!" Natsu grinned, standing. He reached out, grabbing his partner's hand, hoisting her up.

She still felt unsure of herself, but nodded in agreement. They looked down the grassy hill, seeing a tall wooden ladder leading up into the sky.

"I guess that's the way we need to go!" Lucy shouted, a smile on her face. Maybe she could do this after all? She grabbed Natsu's hand, running towards the ladder. She began climbing up the ladder, only realizing about halfway up that she was in a dress, and that Natsu could see under it.

"Natsu, you'd better not be looking up my dress!" She shouted, peeking down, eyes catching his red cheeks.

"Yeah, right! Like I'd _want_ to look!"

"Whatever you say, pervert." She continued climbing up the ladder, but stared confused when it ended next the cloud. Cautiously, she stepped onto the fluffy cotton cloud, sighing in relief when she was able to stand on it.

Natsu stepped on it, as well, grinning like an idiot. "This is _so_ cool!" He exclaimed, beginning to run on the cloud. When Lucy saw that he was headed for a discolored part of the cloud, she had a bad feeling in her gut.

"Natsu, watch out!" She shouted, running after him. She made it just in time, grabbing his hand and pulling him back before he could step on the grey portion of the white cloud.

However, her momentum made her fall forward, right towards the grey cloud. She felt her body pass right through it, the wind whistling in her ears as she fell towards the ground, her screams taken away by the wind. She could barely hear Natsu yelling for her. The ground crept closer with each passing second, cutting her scream short as she hit it. Her body cracked loudly; bones were _definitely_ broken. Pain soared throughout her body, but she couldn't make a sound. The pain turned to numbness, and she could barely feel the blood trickle from the corner of her mouth. Her vision faded, turning everything to blackness. Guess her wings were just for decoration.

10 seconds passed and Lucy suddenly appeared behind a weeping Natsu. _What just happened? Did I really just die?_ Her mind felt fuzzy, and she couldn't stop thinking about the noise her body made when it hit the ground. The _crack_ it made reminded her of the sound of several eggs being thrown against a rock.

"N-Natsu?" She whispered, slowly approaching him. At the sound of her voice, he whipped around so fast that she thought he would have whiplash.

"Luce?" He asked, as though he was unsure. His face was wet with tears as he stared at her. Seeing that he didn't believe his eyes, Lucy smiled, walking over to him.

She dropped to her knees, wrapping her arms around him. "It's me, Natsu. I'm okay." She felt him wrap his warm arms around her, practically crushing her with his embrace. She shivered slightly as she felt him inhale her scent.

"Natsu, I'm okay, really! Besides, we need to get going if we're ever going to get out of this game." Her partner didn't budge, and she just sighed. When she looked back up, she saw a few Bonies making their way over to them. "Natsu, we've got company!"

"I'll protect you." He whispered, standing up, turning to face their enemies. He charged them, sword glinting in the sunlight. It was over before Lucy could blink, rendering her speechless. She stood up, making her way over to Natsu who just stood there, staring at the ash that blew away.

"That was amazing!" He smiled, his cheeks no longer wet from tears.

"I meant it, Luce. I'll protect you until I die." His statement made her heart race and her cheeks heat up. "Now, let's go!" He pumped his fist in the air. "I'm all fired up!"

 ** _xxx_**

Lucy was slowly starting to get better with her magic, but not good enough. Every now and then, she was successful in taking out a Bonie, but it was like Natsu was _made_ for this game. His sword would easily cut down any Bonie that got in their way, and whenever he protected Lucy from an attack, her heart would stutter and her cheeks would tinge pink. She also couldn't help the thoughts of _'Wow, he looks so amazing'_ and _'How have I never noticed how handsome he is?'_ that invaded her mind. He was acting like her Prince Charming who saved her when she needed him.

It was weird.

"Luce, watch out!" Natsu shouted at her, sword clanging against another. A Bonie had backed her up to another grey portion of the cloud, her heels just barely hanging over it.

The Bonie raised its sword, but Lucy wasn't planning on dying again. At the last second, she kicked the Bonie's feet from beneath it, watching as it fell through the grey cloud to its doom below. Natsu easily defeated his own enemy, watching as Lucy jumped over the discolored portion of the cloud to the fluffy white side.

"Natsu, I think we're almost at the end! Let's go!" She smiled, running along the cloud. Natsu was hot on her trail, a small smile on his own face.

They reached a glowing red light, slowing down to study it. Before Lucy could ask what it was, Natsu reached out, touching it. The entire sky lit up in a beautiful rose red, making them shield their eyes. When the light vanished, Natsu was left holding a little red shard.

 _"Thank you, my Prince."_ They recognized the Princess' voice as the shard disappeared from Natsu's hand. Then everything went white as they were transported to the next level.

 ** _(A/N)_**

 ** _This is hard to write. I feel like I'm not getting enough detail in to help you guys picture what's in my head. It'll get better, I promise._**

 ** _Leave a review!_**

 ** _~StarCrusader~_**


	3. Chapter 3

Lucy fell onto the hot ground on her butt. _Why do I keep landing on my ass?_ She swore to track down the asshole wizard who enchanted this game to find out. She groaned, opening her eyes, taking in her surroundings. She landed on hot brown sand, which probably got her beautiful white dress all dirty. All she could see for miles was sand and blue sky. The air was hot and dry, making breathing a battle.

"Natsu?" She called out, standing up. She kept looking for a head of pink hair in the sea of brown and blue, but she couldn't see it. "Natsu?!" She called out, this time panic laced in her voice. She knew she couldn't do this game alone, especially since her magic was hard to learn.

Her throat was beginning to run dry, and she wondered if there was a water source nearby. Or maybe even some food? Her stomach began to growl embarrassingly. She never thought that this game would make her try to find food and water without dying.

"Luce?" A voice called out. She recognized it, tripping over her feet as she tried to find the source.

"Natsu, where are you?" She called out again, looking over the sand dunes.

"Luce!" She turned to the right, smiling in relief as her partner stumbled over to her.

"Natsu!" She threw her arms around him, happy to see that he was safe. He returned the hug, trying not to crush her wings. A soft smile etched on his face.

"Nee, Natsu, let's finish this game soon, okay?" She pulled away, her stomach growling. She turned red with embarrassment, but he just grinned at her.

"Aye! Let's do this!" He shouted, fist pumping into the air. His energy was contagious, and they climbed over sand dunes together, talking about what food they'd eat when they got out of this game.

"You have to pay for it, though." Lucy said, squinting in the distance. She could see some Bonies making their way over.

"What? Why?!"

"Because _you're_ the reason we got sucked in here in the first place!" Lucy huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Hey, Natsu, what's that Bonie holding?" They both squinted, eyeing the object curiously.

"It looks like it has a bag!"

"We need to find out what's in it!" The two quickly ran over to the Bonies. Natsu's sword glinted in the sunlight, and Lucy desperately wished that she had a weapon. This game was _way_ too hard for her.

When the Bonie with the bag saw Natsu and Lucy making their way towards it, it turned and began to run away.

"What?! No! Get back here!" Lucy shouted, running around the other two Bonies. She knew Natsu could take care of them. She saw that it was headed for a large chasm, and panic soared throughout her body.

It'd rather die than let her have the bag. Her feet kicked up sand in her mad dash, hand reached out. _So... close..._ The Bonie jumped into the chasm just as Lucy's fingers wrapped around the bag. She realized that she was falling into the darkness with the Bonie, and she squeezed her eyes shut, holding the bag close to her chest. She didn't want to see whatever awaited her at the bottom of the darkness.

Before she could scream, though, a hand wrapped around her ankle, catching her before she could fall in completely. Lucy's eyes opened,and she could see Natsu's strained face as he held onto her ankle like his life depended on it.

"Natsu, take the bag!" Lucy shouted, trowing it up at him. It landed next to him, safely away from the chasm. "It's okay to let go, Natsu!" Although she was scared of falling in, she didn't need them both to die.

"No!" Natsu yelled, no intention of letting her slip through his fingers. He let her die once because of him, he'd be damned to let it happen again.

"Natsu, it's okay! I'll be back in 10 seconds." She could feel his hand starting to slip. "You don't need to put yourself in danger!"

"I'm _not_ letting you go!" She saw him move his head up, looking across the chasm, his face filling with panic.

"Natsu, what's wrong?" Her ankle was slowly slipping from his grasp, and her heart was thumping loudly in her chest.

"Bonies." He scowled, trying to lift Lucy out of the chasm.

"Natsu, it's okay." She smiled softly. "You need to see what's in the bag. I'll be fine."

"You're more important!" Natsu yelled, slowly starting to pull her out of the darkness.

"N-Natsu..." He looked so _determined_ to save her. To the point where he'd risk his own life just to try to save hers.

With one last pull, she was out of the chasm, laying on the hot sand. Meanwhile, Natsu jumped up, jumping over the chasm, obliterating the Bonies with his sword. She stood up, picking up the small leather bag. She ran, jumping over the chasm, making it safely to the other side beside Natsu, who was sitting on the sand.

"Baka!" Lucy yelled, plopping down next to him. "I told you to save yourself. Now you're weak because of dehydration and hunger!"He looked over at her, panting.

"I made you a promise, Luce."

"I don't care, Natsu! You need to protect yourself, you're the main character! Besides, I also made a promise..." Lucy fiddled with the drawstring of the bag, not looking at Natsu.

"You did?" He asked.

"I promised myself that I'd protect you, too." She whispered.

"Luce..." She peered at him from the corner of her eye, seeing a huge smile on his face. "I guess we both kept our promises, then, huh?" He fell back against the sand, sweating everywhere.

"Natsu!" Lucy crawled next to him. His breathing was erratic, and she began to freak out. He needed water! She quickly fumbled with the bag, eyes widening when she pulled out a canteen and two apples. _Natsu needs the water more than I do._ Her throat tried to protest her, but she lifted him up, cradling his head.

"Natsu, drink some water!" Lucy said, lightly smacking his cheeks to wake him up. When he groaned, she held the water up to his mouth, forcing him to drink it all. Her body ached with the need to drink some, but she needed Natsu to be safe first.

He sat up, licking his lips. "Thanks, Luce. Did you have some?"

"Yeah! Now here, eat an apple." She handed him the red fruit, watching him bite into it. She knew lying to him was bad, but he would've gone off on her if he had known the truth. She bit into her own apple, savoring the flavor and the juices. Natsu ate his in two bites, probably not even tasting it.

The bag and canteen disappeared into thin air, and Lucy knew that they had to get moving. The sooner they got out of this hot level, the better.

 ** _(A/N)_**

 ** _I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!_**

 ** _Leave a review!_**

 ** _~StarCrusader~_**


	4. Chapter 4

Lucy's legs were covered in sand, her dress was tattered and her wings were drooped dramatically. It was almost comical, but she couldn't laugh. Her throat was dry and sore from not having enough water to drink. Natsu, however, seemed just fine. He casually picked off the Bonies, a small smirk on his face as he did so.

His tan skin glistened with sweat, his strong arms wielding the sword with ease. Lucy's mind wasn't just mush because of the heat; it was because of her partner. She couldn't comprehend how Natsu, her idiotic, pink-haired best friend, was making her heart thump so wildly in her chest.

 _It's just the heat and exhaustion. It has nothing to do with him._ Her brain tried to soothe her, but it wasn't working out so well. The smile etched onto Natsu's face scared her a bit. _How can someone smile while killing walking corpses?_ She shuddered.

"Natsu..." Lucy groaned, her temples beginning to pound. She looked up, watching a Bonie turn and begin to run the other direction. She narrowed her eyes, then pointed at it. "Natsu!"

He turned to see what she was pointing at, eyes squinting at the retreating skeleton. "Hang tight, Luce!" He yelled, running after the Bonie and the bag in its grasp.

It only took Natsu a few seconds to defeat the Bonie, bringing the sack back over to Lucy, who was sitting on the burning ground. Together, they opened the bag, grinning as they saw two containers of water and two apples. They greedily consumed their shares of the gift, licking their lips as the bag disappeared.

"I feel so much better!" Lucy stood, fist pumping in the air. "I'm all fired up!" She shouted, earning a grin from her partner.

"Aye!" He shouted, jumping up. "Let's do this!" He grabbed her hand, running through the desert with her. When he touched her, it was like her body was being shocked with electricity. _Why does he make me feel this way? He's just my friend! ... Right?_

Just as Lucy was thinking about her feelings, the ground began to rumble and shake, causing our favorite duo to stop in their tracks, trying to keep their balance.

"What the...?" Natsu stared as a large sand tornado began to approach, making their hair whip around dramatically in the wind.

"Natsu, run!" Lucy shouted, grabbing his hand. They began to run away from the treacherous pillar of sand, but it was no use. They were sucked into it, desperately trying to hold onto each other.

"Luce, don't let go!" Natsu shouted over the roar of the wind. Their hands were slipping from each other despite their attempts to hold on. Their hands slipped, and Lucy closed her eyes, feeling her body being flung from the tornado. She landed harshly on the hot sand, yet again, on her butt. Her eyes snapped open, staring at the tornado in horror.

When something flew out and landed next to her, she stared in horror. The object that had come from the tornado was a _hand._ There was blood oozing from it, forming a small puddle around it. She couldn't make a sound as she carefully reached out, touching it. The heat of it was painfully familiar.

 _Natsu...?_ Her mind filled with several images of him smiling, arm draped around her shoulders. Thoughts of him making her blush, him breaking into her house, him smiling at her. _No... No!_

" _No!_ " She screamed, feeling her body fill with rage and sorrow. She stood up, eyes narrowed at the tornado. She could see several Bonies coming towards her from the corner of her eye. "Not Natsu... _Not him!_ " The thoughts of her partner kept flooding her mind as her body began to glow a beautiful blue. Her entire body hummed with energy as she screamed, sending pulses of magic through the air. It was then that she realized how much Natsu truly meant to her. Just how much her heart craved his. She wanted to hold his hand again and fight by his side.

As the tornado and Bonies approached, Natsu appeared behind Lucy, but she didn't notice. She brought her hands up, tears falling down her face. Natsu stared at her in awe as powerful blue light shot from her hands, crashing into the enemies. The Bonies immediately reduced to ash, and the tornado was set off balance, causing it to disappear.

The blue light faded and Lucy brought her hands back down to her side. She was still crying, cheeks becoming puffy.

"Luce?" Her heart stopped beating for a split second. She slowly turned, eyes landing on her partner.

"N-Natsu?" Sometimes she forgot that she was in a game. "Natsu!" She ran, colliding into him. She threw her arms around him, not wanting to let go. "I'm so sorry! I let go!" Maybe if she held on tighter, he wouldn't have died.

"Don't blame yourself, Luce." He ran his hands through her hair, trying to soothe her. He didn't want to let go, but he knew that they needed to finish this level as fast as possible. "Luce, I think I see the shard!" In the distance, there was a faint red glow.

Lucy, unwillingly, turned to see what he was talking about. "Let's beat this damn game already!" Lucy grabbed his hand, charging forward towards the sunset. She never wanted to let go.

The faint red glow got brighter as they approached, then lit up the sky as Natsu touched it, grasping the shard.

 _"Thank you, my Prince."_ The Princess' voice rang out over the sky. The two were engulfed by a white light, which sent them into the next level.

 ** _(A/N)_**

 ** _Hey guys! Long time no update, amiright? Sorry! I know that this one was short!_**

 ** _Leave a review!_**

 ** _~StarCrusader~_**


	5. Chapter 5

Lucy's butt hit the hard ground once more, making her groan. "Seriously?" She complained up to the sky. "Why me?" She began to get up, but something crashed on top of her, harshly throwing her to the grassy ground.

The breath was knocked out of her, and her eyes closed in pain. Whatever was on top of her groaned, slowly removing itself from her crumpled body. When she felt the pressure leave, she slowly opened her eyes to see onyx ones staring back at her.

"Luce? You okay?" He reached a hand out to her, helping her stand.

"This better not keep happening, you jerk!" She yelled at the sky. She would be damned if her bruised tush would be followed by a body slam for every level she was - literally - thrown into.

"Uhhh Luce?" Natsu was giving her a weird look.

"It's nothing." She muttered, embarrassed. She was beginning to suspect that the Princess didn't like her, since it seemed that she always landed harshly whereas Natsu now had a personal cushion to his fall. "Let's just go."

The thick jungle wasn't too hard to navigate through. It was like Lucy had an inner GPS, telling her which direction to go.

"Nee, Lucy, what do you think the tornado was for in the previous level? In the first level, there were only the Bonies."

"You're right..." Lucy hadn't thought much about it, but her partner had a good point. "Maybe there's a new threat for each time we level up?" She wondered aloud.

"Yeah, maybe." He stared up at the thick canopy above, hand behind his head.

"Looks like we have company." Lucy said, watching as the four Bonies came closer. Natsu grabbed his sword, ready to fight. These Bonies had moss growing all over them, making Lucy's stomach churn.

"Gross." She mumbled, raising her hands. She hoped that she could control her magic for once in this game.

"Don't worry, Luce. I'm sure you can do it!" Natsu grinned, making her heart stutter for a split moment. She smiled gently in response, returning her focus back to the incoming enemy. She knew she had to think of protecting Natsu in order to use her magic, but it felt like she was missing something...

"Let's go!" Natsu charged forward, Lucy right behind him. Her partner clashed swords with one of the Bonies while Lucy tried - and failed - to use her magic to take down another. The bursts were still erratic, missing her target completely.

Finally, she was somehow able to get its sword away from it, slicing its head off. She turned around and was met with a swing from a different Bonie. The sword came dangerously close as she jumped back, not holding her breath. A tuft of pink hair was visible just behind it, until it turned to ash.

Natsu smiled at his partner, but she didn't return it. In fact, her face contorted into one of horror.

"Watch out!" She raised her hand, a powerful blue burst escaping her delicate palm. It slammed into the Bonie that was about to plunge its sword into Natsu's back, reducing it to ash.

"Whoa..." Natsu whispered, staring at his partner. "That was awesome!" He slung an arm around her shoulders, earning a slight blush from her cheeks.

And it was in that moment that she realized how to control her powers. Not only was it through protection, but it was through... _love._

The jungle seemed to get hotter the more they trekked through it, defeating Bonies. Sweat collected in uncomfortable places, making Lucy feel like she needed to jump into a lake. However, she was happy as she was able to take down her enemies much easier than before. She hit her targets most of the time!

"Nee, Luce, do you see those flowers?" They stopped in their tracks, staring at the large flowers. Some were red, others were yellow, and a few were blue. They resembled Venus Fly Traps, only these were about six feet tall.

"Yeah. This is the first time we've seen them so far, right?" She couldn't remember seeing anything like them before on their trek through the jungle.

"I think so." He drew his sword, just in case. "Be careful."

"Mm." Lucy crept forward, hands ready to strike down the flowers if she needed to. However, they didn't move. Not even when she poked one with a stick. She turned to face her partner, who stood a few feet back.

"I think it's safe so far." She turned back around, only to find the mouth of the flower open, saliva dripping onto her boot. She audibly gulped, fear freezing her body.

"L-Luce, slowly back away." Natsu whispered, terrified. Both had seen each other die terrible deaths, and neither wanted it to happen again.

"I-I can't. My legs won't move!" She whisper-shouted back. It was like her legs were made of stone, unable to move. The plant made a noise like it was smelling her. She shivered, her throat closing up in fear of being eaten.

The mouth opened wide, showing off its sharp teeth. She felt like if she moved in the slightest, the plant would instantly gobble her up. It reared back, ready to strike the poor blonde.

"No!" Natsu yelled, charging forward, sword glinting in what little sun filtered through the leaves. He struck the plant at its base, but the sword didn't cut through it. He stumbled backwards, landing roughly on his butt. This distracted the plant for a moment, and Lucy was able to stumble away from it, keeping her life.

She fell next to Natsu, panting. She swore to never grow flowers if she had the yard to.

"Luce? You okay?" Natsu asked, sitting up.

"Y-yeah." She laid on her back, staring up at the canopy. She was about to sit up when something gleamed in the sunlight. "What's that?" She asked, squinting.

"What's what?" Natsu stared at her, then looked up to see what she was looking at.

"In that tree. Hold on." She sat up, keeping an eye on the glint above her. The tree it was in was easy to climb, as if it were _made_ to be climbed.

The rough bark dug into her pale hands as she scaled the tree, getting closer to the object above. She reached out, grabbing whatever it was hanging on the small limb. It looked like an ocarina.

"What..?" She turned it over in her hands. It was an emerald green color, convincing her it was made of an emerald.

She placed it around her neck with that string it was hanging from. Then she began to descend the tree, careful not to take a wrong step. She landed next to Natsu, who stared at the beautiful ocarina around her neck.

"What is it?" He asked.

"I think it's an ocarina." Lucy saw what she presumed to be the mouthpiece, and put it in her mouth. She didn't know what to play, but it was as if the notes came to her naturally. She gracefully moved her fingers, a melodic song playing through the air.

"Look!" Natsu pointed towards the flowers, which had begun to sway slightly to the music. "Maybe that's how we're supposed to get by them!"

As Lucy continued to play her sweet melody, the two slowly crept by the first flower, hearts racing. When they got by it, Natsu smiled slightly. They got through all of the flowers without losing their lives.

"Wow, Luce! That was awesome! Where'd you learn to do that?" He slung an arm around her shoulders, making her cheeks tinge pink.

"I've never played one before." She smiled, looking back at the flowers. "Let's continue on, Natsu. I want to go home."

"Aye, sir!"

 _ **(A/N)**_

 _ **It**_ ** _'_** ** _s been too long, I know! I'm sorry. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!_**

 ** _Leave a review!_**

 ** _~StarCrusader~_**


	6. Chapter 6

Distraught noises came from the ocarina as Natsu tried to play it, making Lucy feel bad for the poor thing. Natsu, however, thought that his playing was one of his greatest accomplishments. So, she let him continue, even though her ears begged for him to stop.

However, her positive attitude about it quickly turned sour when a high-pitched, blood-curdling noise sounded from it. She snatched it from his mouth, pretty sure her eardrum burst.

"How about this. You just blow air into it, and I'll place my fingers over the holes?" The two sat down on a tree root that protruded from the ground.

Natsu sat in the dip of it, so Lucy could sit comfortably behind him. This way, her hands weren't at a weird angle when she tried to finger the notes. When the instrument was in his mouth, she placed her fingers delicately over the openings, instructing him to blow.

With this, she was able to teach him a few pretty notes, and when she was sure he was getting the hang of it, she gently placed his hands on it, letting him play it for himself. Of course, he only played the notes he taught her over and over again, but it was much better then the sounds of a dying elephant from before.

Making sure no Bonies were in sight, Lucy leaned back against the tree, closing her eyes as she listened to the beautiful notes. As the notes became sharper, Natsu tried to add a few more of his own notes in, making a shrill noise come out. A shiver ran down her spine at the horrible noise.

"Can you do it, Luce?" She peeked open an eye to see him looking at her with puppy-dog eyes. _How can I say no to that?_

Sighing, she took the emerald from his hands, pressing her lips on the slobbery mouthpiece. She leaned back against the tree, not caring that the rough bark dug into her wings and back. Her eyes slid shut as she began to play a melody that she had never heard before **(A/N: I like to imagine the Fairy Tail theme song)**.

A small breeze blew through the warm jungle air, and it felt like they were in the woods that surrounded Magnolia instead of in some far away land. She felt Natsu sit next to her, leaning against the tree himself. His arm brushed hers, his warmth seeping into her very soul, and somehow, the music sounded more melodic than it had before.

Once her song ended, Lucy hesitantly opened her eyes, peering over at Natsu. His own eyes were closed, a look of blissful peace on his face. She couldn't help but think about how soft he looked. Not his skin, but rather, his demeanor. Like he wasn't some terrifying dragon slayer, but a fragile being. One that she didn't want to see break.

Without realizing it, her hand had reached out, brushing a strand of hair from his face. His eyes peeked open, looking at her with curiosity. He didn't move at all, but just stared up at her. Finally realizing what she had just done, she pulled her hand away quickly, adverting her gaze. A flaming red pinched her cheeks as she desperately tried to come up with an excuse, but she didn't have time.

Several moss-plagued bonies began to come closer, and she just groaned, stringing the beautiful emerald around her porcelain neck. Natsu's warmth left as he stood up, drawing his sword. She stood up too, getting ready to charge the enemy. When Lucy caught wind of their rotting stench, she gagged inwardly a little. These things were absolutely disgusting.

What happened a few moments before nagged at her as she mustered up a ball of blue magic, making her nervous. Would things be awkward now? Would he try to talk about it? All of these scary thoughts made her magic become erratic, a blue ball slamming into a nearby tree instead of her target.

This, of course, only frustrated her more. She watched as Natsu cut through them easily, leaving behind only ash to gently fall in the breeze. Her partner turned to her with a crooked smile.

"I guess the game wants us to continue on, huh?" He sheathed his sword, throwing an arm around her shoulders. So, Lucy assumed she was freaking out over nothing, since Natsu seemed so cool about it.

 **~Later~**

Feeling better about the situation before, Lucy had been able to regain control over her magic bursts, so they weren't as erratic. However, that toothy smile always had her heart skip a beat, dusting her cheeks a pink color. Once she began to accept her feelings for Natsu, however, she became more skilled with her magic.

She didn't miss a single shot.

It got to the point where she could summon a small ball of brilliant blue, studying it. It looked like brilliant blue flames. After fighting numerous bonies, fatigue consumed Lucy's body. She knew it was from magic use, and that she needed to rest for a few minutes before they continued.

"Luce? You okay?" She had sat down on root, leaning against a tree. She had to admit, it was kind of hard to breathe. Her lungs burned with the need of oxygen.

"Yeah. Just... tired." Her eyes fluttered shut, her wings drooping tiredly. "I wish I had my cozy bed..." At this point, though, she'd sleep on rocks. After a few seconds of regaining control over her breath, Lucy opened her eyes, almost screeching when a face was just centimeters in front of her.

"Natsu?" She breathed, staring into his mesmerizing onyx eyes. His hot breath fanned her face as he continued to stare at her. What was he doing?

"Luce... you look... like shit." Lucy's face dropped at that last word. _And here I thought he was going to say something nice._

"Baka!" She yelled, dealing a firm Lucy Kick to his butt. "That's not how you talk to a lady!" Forgetting her fatigue, she stepped over the pink-haired rag doll and trudged forward, steam practically coming from her ears.

Natsu caught up to her, wondering why she was so upset. All he had said was that she didn't look good! She looked exhausted, and he could see it plastered all over her face. Maybe he shouldn't have said shit?

"Luce, I-" But he was cut off by a loud roar.

"What the?" The two took a few steps back, glancing at each other.

"I have a bad feeling about this..." The blonde mumbled, staring ahead of her. Through the trees, she could see a clearing. "I thought that those flowers from earlier were the threat for this level?"

"I guess not." Natsu frowned, unsheathing his sword. They had to continue onward, and both knew it. So, with a big breath, they continued on, stepping out of the jungle and into the bright sunlight.

Lucy didn't have time to bask in the warmth, for a large flower _stood_ before them. It was a deep purple color, walking on its thick, brown roots. When it saw them, saliva foamed at its mouth. Behind it was a red glow, and they understood what was going on. In order to get the shard, they had to defeat the flower.

"This'll be a piece of cake!" Natsu exclaimed. "Just play your orca!"

"Ocarina." Lucy corrected. She went to grab the ocarina from her neck, but before she could grab it, a root shot forward, ripping it away from her delicate fingers. The flower slammed it into a tree, breaking it into hundreds of glittering pieces.

The two stared in shock as the monster before them roared once again, seemingly making fun of them.

"C-crap..." Lucy muttered, getting her palms ready to use her magic. Natsu slightly raised his sword, getting into a battle stance.

"We've got this, Luce." His crooked smile made her crack one of her own.

"Aye sir!" She shouted as they charged, ready to hit this thing with all they had.

Natsu slashed at the enlarged plant with his sword, but it didn't seem to have any effect on it. A root slammed into his torso, sending him flying back and into a tree. Lucy watched in horror as his body made contact with the trunk of it, but soon sighed in relief when her partner stood back up, charging once more.

She tried to summon her magic, but the fatigue from earlier came rushing back full force. Her wings drooped again as she managed to form a shaky ball of blue, sending it flying towards the mouth of the creature. It cried out in pain as it flailed backwards.

Natsu stood by her side, giving her a concerned look. "You okay, Luce?" He furrowed his brow in concern.

"Yeah!" The truth is, she didn't know how she was going to survive this battle.

Natsu's sword had no affect on the flower, but her magic did. However, her energy was mostly drained, and using the magic just made her more tired. She felt like dropping to the ground in a heap, but she knew she couldn't. Not since she might be the only one who could defeat this thing. She eyed the monster as it stood back up. It didn't have a face, but it definitely looked angry at the blonde.

"Yosh! I'm all fired up!" Natsu bellowed as he charged, sword raised and ready to strike.

"Aye!" Lucy charged along with him, pigtails flowing in the wind.

Natsu's sword struck the base of the flower, but had no affect. He just cursed loudly and kept trying to slash it as it reared its head back, ready to strike.

"Natsu!" Lucy cried out, willing herself to run faster.

The salmon-haired man looked at her, then back to the head of the plant, which was quickly approaching him, saliva covering its lips. Panic filled her as her partner raised his sword, not seeming to realize that it wouldn't work on this foe. The plant was so close to him, that she could see its thick saliva drip onto his shoes.

"No!" She shouted, jumping in front of her partner and the plant.

"Luce?!" A voice cried out from behind her.

She didn't look as she was practically in the monster's mouth. Before it could eat her, a bright blue energy surrounded her, and with it, her energy fell to zero. The blue aura pulsed, making Natsu close his eyes due to the intensity of it. All he could hear was a determined battle cry from Lucy, and a horrible shriek from the monster.

When the blue faded, he opened his eyes, only to see the plant gone, along with his partner.

"Lucy?!" He shouted, frantically looking around. The crimson shard fell into his palm, and he was soon encompassed in a bright light, slowly fading into the next level. "No! Not without Luce!" He shouted up at the sky. No response came as the princess thanked him before he disappeared.

 **(A/N)**

 **I know, I know, it's been a really long time. I'm so sorry! But, here you go! Another chapter for your enjoyment!**

 **Leave a review!**

 **~StarCrusader~**


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